We are BACK and at it with our Artist Feature Friday's! We had a little Halloween Hiatus due to the season being quite crazy, as I am sure it was for a lot of you as well! It was fun, none the less. How was your Halloween?!

This Friday we are featuring a pretty badass makeup artist, Chris Osorio. I met him during a small private screening at E.I. where he currently attends makeup school. His overall energy was so awesome, I couldn't help but notice the strong passion he has for this industry. I must say... it isn't common to speak with students who truly know who's who in our industry (no disrespect for those who don't, just stating my observations). It was both refreshing and impressive to say the least.

I was really excited to interview Chris, as I feel that he is such a great example of an aspiring artist who will surely go very far in his career. Everyone can take something from his interview, whether it be inspiration to follow you dream of being a MUA, or just inspiration for life lessons in general with his amazingly prophetic words and quotes he lives by. Enjoy!

1.Tell us about yourself (where you're from, how you got into makeup, etc)I was born and raised in Los Angeles and ever since I can remember, I was fascinated by all sorts of art forms. From movies, dancing, singing, drawing, painting, and makeup. It was at a seasonal Halloween store when I was fifteen that I had my first experience with makeup. I was hired as a clerk for their makeup counter. I learned about blood, prosthetics, wigs and SFX makeup and it just fascinated me. It was then where I learned that I was able to create things and make them a reality.​2.Did you attend school?Yes, I’m currently attending E.I. Professional School of Makeup. I’m in my last course and graduating next month! YAY!! :)

3. What are your thoughts on makeup artists attending school to pursue a career in freelance artistry?I believe it’s a great asset. It’s helped me with excellent networking opportunities and provided me with so much knowledge. Coming from someone who isn’t out of high school nor in his early 20’s, I found it essential to go to school and learn as much as I could, since I knew this was the career I wanted to pursue.

4. We absolutely love your work, where do you get your inspiration from?As a millennial, I find so much inspiration through social media. It’s exciting to find remarkable artwork by fellow artists and be inspired and motivated.

5. What is your favorite piece of work you are most proud of that you have worked on?I would have to say I’m most proud of my “Lady Grinn” character. From the makeup, FX, location, and costume— it was such a great experience creating this entire character from the ground up. It allowed me to showcase my growth as an artist ever since starting school.​

6.Who are your biggest mentors?So the people would i would basically “fan-girl” over haha.. They would have to be Rick Baker, Ve Neil, Andrew Freeman, Akihito Ikeda. I would also like to include so many of my school instructors who are extraordinary makeup artists: Anaid Gutierrez, Jennifer Corona, Yulia Romanenko, Cecilia Hernandez and George Schminky! 7.If you could work on any project or for any artist, what would you choose?I would love to work on Game of Thrones (Best show ever!) and I would also love to work on a project with Rick Baker! 8.All of us go through times of struggle as makeup artists, what do you do during these times to keep yourself motivated? I try to stay positive. It can definitely be hard for a starving artist to stay focused and positive, but it’s honestly always at your lowest when you’re close to finding the one thing that will turn your luck around. Stay positive on and push through, your hard work will pay off soon. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.” -Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist9.What advice would you give to other aspiring makeup artists who want to get into this industry?Go to makeup school. Take advantage of their resources, the courses and especially your instructors. They’ll be your best resources to get you where you’d want to be. 10.Describe “what it takes” to be a successful makeup artist today:Stay focused and determined. Don’t lose sight of your goal and keep learning. We’re all artists and we’re all striving to be great. Don’t be afraid to share or learn techniques with your fellow artists! Happiness never decreased by being shared.

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Amber Talarico and Kenneth Alexander. Amber is the Director of What It takes, and Kenneth is the producer. Our mission is to motivate, inspire and empower freelance makeup and special FX artists around the world to pursue their dreams by sharing knowledge, encouraging artists at all stages, and bring a voice to our industry as professional makeup artists!